[Organizational and methodological approaches to improving the microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis in Russia]

The practice of the researchers of the Central Research Institute of Tuberculosis in Russia's experimental areas yielded approaches to improving the microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis in both specialized and general health care facilities. A decisive role in enhancing the efficiency of microbiological identification of patients with tuberculosis is played by the following factors: laboratory staff training, provision of laboratories with qualitative equipment and reagents, introduction of unified methods and those approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, regular supervision of jurisdictional laboratories, and outside test quality control. The efficiency of microbiological diagnosis of bacillary patients primarily depends on the expediency of formation of groups of patients under study, the observance of the frequency of examinations, and the assurance of the quality of collected materials. With this, the centralization of microbiological tests for tuberculosis at the most trained, certified, and licensed large laboratories that exercise a centralized control over the quality of microbiological tests.